Over 800 farmers responded to the Herdwatch survey and when asked if they thought their smartphone was one of the most important tools on their farm, 87% of them, or 9 out of 10, said yes.

One of the most interesting things about this result is that 75% of the farmers surveyed were over 35 years old, which Herdwatch says “dispels the myth that only young farmers are willing to use smartphones”.

When asked about time saved, the farmers surveyed said that Herdwatch saves them two hours per week on average.

The ability to record compliance events, such as animal remedies, calf registration and pesticide use, on the spot is contributing to this time saving, with 65% of farmers recording on the spot or immediately afterwards and 90% of farmers recording the event that day.

Additionally, two out of three farmers surveyed said the app helps them make management decisions. Herdwatch says this shows “the ability of an inexpensive everyday technology to have a direct impact at farm level”.

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A survey of users of the Herdwatch farm management app has found that 87% of farmers think their smartphone is one of the most important tools on their farm.